Stars
by EMUMeg1107
Summary: On the first clear night in months, Megan goes for a walk and meets a mysterious man. Compelled by him, she must learn more.


Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, or any characters mentioned in the story, except Megan and her family. All others belong to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N: I have not written a story for a long time, and not under this pen name. Please forgive me as I am getting back into the swing of things. The main character of this story is me, and even though that sounds really stupid and corny, I have a good reason. I am just finishing up my first year of college and I'm very stressed at this moment, so I wanted a place to get away too. As we all know, Edward Cullen is the most gorgeous man in the universe, and I think that he is the perfect cure for my stress. So, with that said, enjoy!

Stars

I turned over onto my back, opening my eyes and looking at the ceiling. I stared, not blinking, hoping that sleep would engulf me once more. Unfortunately, as the minutes passed, it was obvious that I was not going to fall back asleep anytime soon. I pushed the blankets off and sat up, looking around my room for something to keep me occupied while I waited to be overcome with tiredness again. Eyeing my laptop, I got up and quietly crept toward it, not wanting to disturb my sister, with who I shared a room with.

I unplugged the cords from the wall, picking my laptop up and carrying it toward the door, heading downstairs. Quietly I made my way down, careful to not hit the creaky steep which would instantly wake up not only my sister, but my twin brother as well, who would certainly want to know what I was doing up in the dead of night.

I made it to the sunroom, the one room I knew I would be alone in because it would be cold in the middle of the night. Sure enough, as soon as I stepped in, a chill swept over my body and I quickly grabbed a blanket that was draped over the couch nearest me. Wrapping myself up and setting my computer up, I turned it on and started up the internet. I worked rather quickly, seeing as no one else in the house was on a computer at the same time. But when the homepage popped up, I stared at the screen, not sure of what I wanted to do. I sighed; this was hopeless.

I gave up, moving the computer to the floor and lying down on the couch, facing the glass ceiling before me. After staring blankly up for a few seconds, I noticed something that I hardly ever saw. The black sky above me was sprinkled with small sparkles, glowing and blinking. Stars.

I sat up, still keeping my eyes on the sky. I smiled, trying to remember back to the last time the sky was clear. I couldn't remember. After all, growing up in Forks, Washington, all my life perpetually put me under a sea of clouds that hardly ever broke, giving way to the sky above. Any time that did happen, I was sure to be outside. Not knowing how long the clouds would keep away, whether it be a few moments or longer, I hurriedly got up and headed back for the stairs, going to change into more appropriate clothes to venture into the night time hours.

I changed hastily, pulling on jeans and a sweatshirt over my pajamas and put socks on my feet, heading back to the lower level to finish with my shoes. After getting them on and lacing them up, I opened our back door gently, preventing any unnecessary noise. I stepped out, shutting the door just as quietly, and then turned around to face the forest my home was nestled in.

I'd always had good night vision owing to my love for eating carrots with every meal, breakfast included. As my eyes adjusted rather quickly, I made my way toward the path that lead into the forest, heading to my favorite place in the world.

The trail was a little harder to navigate in the night, and I made it to the edge of the cliff that looked out over the mountains in a little over an hour. I smiled as I stepped through the last trees blocking my view, and my smile grew even wider as I looked up to the sky above. Sure enough, the stars were still there, blinking just for me.

I sat down, then laid, knowing that the moisture from the ground would soak through my clothes to my skin, but not caring. I just stared, looking at all the constellations I knew (which was not many), and tried to make my own. It was relaxing, just lying out there by myself looking at my favorite things in the world.

I don't know how long I lay there in the silence (I forgot my cell phone back at home) before I heard a sound that I knew was not caused by nature. It sounded something like a hiss and a growl mixed together, but it didn't sound like any animal I knew of. It also sounded close. I sat up suddenly, my heart rate rising, and looked around me, trying to be as quiet as possible. Whatever made the noise sounded mad, and I didn't want to make it any worse.

I heard the sound again, even closer this time, from my left. I whipped my head around, expecting to find a stray bear or mountain lion, but what I saw nearly made my heart stop. Instead of an animal, I saw a man, the most beautiful, angry man that I had ever seen, looking at me from the cover of the forest. His skin was so pale that in the moonlight, it seemed to glow, making him look ghostly. His eyes glowed, but instead of a bright light, they were dark, the darkest that I had ever seen before in my life. He looked about my age, yet much older at the same time. I kept still, not breathing, hoping he wouldn't come any closer.

"Who are you?" he hissed in an angry, low voice, yet it was the most beautiful voice I had ever heard.

Realizing that I hadn't taken a breath since I first noticed him, I drew in a ragged breath. I didn't answer, I just stared back.

"I said, who are you?" he growled this time, his voice a little louder, but still beautiful.

My mouth formed the first sound of my name, but I was still unsure of whether to answer. He hadn't moved, so deciding that it was safe, I opened my mouth. "M-Megan," I stuttered, barely louder than a whisper.

"And what are you doing here?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

I looked around, my mouth becoming dry, my palms sweaty. "I couldn't sleep. I took a walk," I told him, unsure of why I did it. "I saw the stars," I added, glancing up to the sky and back to him quickly.

He stared back at me, not saying anything. "You shouldn't be here," he said finally. "It's not safe."

My brow furrowed. "What do you mean 'not safe'?" I asked him. "My family owns this land. You shouldn't be here," I told him, gaining a little courage.

He moved very quickly, faster than anyone I had ever seen, out of the protection of the forest and a few feet away from me. He looked down to me, and from this angle he looked even more beautiful than he did from far away. His jaw was strong and angular, as was his nose, and he looked like he was sculpted out of marble. He was rather tall, but considering that I was still on the ground, I'm sure his height was more exaggerated than it would be if I was standing up.

"Leave," he said, his arm moving in a blur to point at the trail that I had arrived on. I followed the line of his hand before saying anything.

"Didn't you hear me? I own this land. Why don't you leave? You're the one who shouldn't be here," I said, standing up.

He put his arm down and closed his eyes, breathing in through his nose, his nostrils flaring slightly. He opened them again, his face as hard as it had been before. "Do not make me angry. For your own good, you should not be here. Trust me," he said, voice hard as well.

I looked at him for a moment, then up to the sky, then back to him. "Fine," I said, knowing that daylight was going to arrive within a few hours, and if I was not in my bed back at home, I would surely be in trouble when I did arrive. "I don't know who you are and what you're doing, but I intend to find out," I finished, heading for the trail.

I don't know if it was even possible, but it seemed as if his face paled even more. "Leave!" he shouted, his beautiful voice masked by anger and fear.

I jumped, then took off running down the trail, not bothering to look back to see if he was following me. I tried my best to stay afoot, but I tripped over a few branches, falling to the ground. I got back up as fast as I could, my rhythm undisturbed, and continued making my way back to home and safety. In about forty five minutes I could see the outline of my house through the trees, and I slowed a bit, turning around and scanning the forest behind me. The man didn't seem to follow me, and I breathed a sigh of relief, stepping into my back yard and up to my back door.

As quietly as I had exited the house, I entered, hoping that no one was a wake. I saw that the time was 4:30 in the morning, and that in three and a half hours everyone would be awake. I made my way back up to my room and got out of my jeans and sweatshirt, looking over at my 

sister who hadn't seemed to move the whole time I had been gone. I got into my bed and pulled the covers over me, and almost instantly I fell into a deep sleep.

I dreamed of the gorgeous man, or boy, or whoever he was that night, wondering what he was doing out if the woods and why it was so dangerous for me. I dreamed that he was a murderer or something, yet I wasn't scared. I was just intrigued.

Just as my dream was getting good, I felt my body shaking. Opening my eyes a fraction, I saw my sister standing over my bed, trying to get me to wake up. "C'mon, Megan," she said, "Mom's ready to begin school now."

"Fine, Kendra. Stop shaking me. Tell her I'll be down in a minute," I said, closing my eyes and trying to remember the boy in my thoughts.

"Don't keep her waiting," she said. "You know how she gets," she reminded me, walking out the door and down to the kitchen where our mom was ready to begin today's lessons.

My eyes flew open at that reminder and I bolted out of bed, hurrying to change into jeans and a t-shirt. I ran downstairs and saw that along with my mom and Kendra, my twin brother Jerad was there waiting for me as well.

My mom looked up and me and frowned. "I let you guys sleep in a little bit, but you still don't make it when I ask you too. I don't know how you would survive if your father and I would have sent you to a normal school," she told everyone, specifically me, motioning for me to take a seat at the table.

I took my normal seat between my sister and brother, and my mom handed out some work sheets for us to complete before lunch. She then took her book and left the room, telling us she would be back in a few hours.

I looked down at my work, then stretched my hand to the center of the table to grab a pencil. As I did, my brother grabbed my wrist, looking at my palms. "What happened to your hands?" he asked.

I grabbed my hand away from him, looking at my palm for myself. It was all scratched up and a little bloody. I sighed, knowing I got these from falling down in the woods the night before.

"Nothing," I told him. "And quit looking at me. It's freaking me out."

"Don't tell me you were having another one of your middle of the night walks again," Jerad said, rolling his eyes at me.

"And what if I was?" I asked, getting defensive.

"I hope a bear eats you," he mumbled at me before turning back to his worksheets and beginning to work on them.

I frowned at him, but followed suit. I'd completed the first three, but my mind was too confused to work on anymore. Instead of focusing on the history worksheet that was in front of me, my mind traveled to the boy in the forest last night. Who was he? What was he doing? And why was it not safe for me?

Just then, my mom came back into the kitchen to check up on our progress. She looked over Kendra's work, then Jerad's, finally coming to look at mine. I could feel her frown as she stood behind me.

"Megan? What is this?" she asked, picking my papers up and looking over my work. "Most of your answers are wrong. That's not like you. Are you feeling alright?" she asked, suddenly become the concerned mother.

"Yeah, just a little tired," I mumbled, telling the partial truth.

"From being out all night," Jerad said, continuing on his work.

I gave him a sharp look. "What was that?" our mother asked.

"Nothing. He didn't say anything," I told her, getting up from the table to grab a Coke. I opened it and sat back down. "Let me just get some caffeine in me. I'll correct everything," I said, taking my papers from my mother and pushing the thoughts of the boy from my head.

"Ok, sweetie," she said, leaving the room again. "I'll be back to check on you later."

The rest of the day went by rather quickly. When my mom came back and collected our work, she told us we were free for the day. I abruptly got up from the table and headed to the sunroom, where my computer was left from the night before. I surfed the web a little, still trying to figure out the mystery man from last night, but not knowing where to begin my research. Sighing, I closed the computer down and took it back upstairs, still frustrated that I was no farther than earlier.

As I made my way back downstairs, I heard the front door open, meaning my dad was home. "Hey, dad," I said as he walked in the door.

"Hey, Meg," he replied back, giving me a smile. "The paper said we had clear skies last night. Too bad we missed it," he told me. Him, like me, loved being outside when the weather was nice.

"Yeah, too bad," I mumbled, following him into the kitchen.

"But," he said, "they're saying tonight's going to be the same way. Too bad we can't go to the cliff and see the stars," he said.

My brow furrowed. "Why?"

"Well, rangers from the park found seven dead elk last night. And by the looks of it, they didn't die peacefully. They're thinking that a stray bear or mountain lion wandered into our area. It's best to stay inside until they find it or say it's safe again."

I nodded, a confused look on my face. Did the elk have to do with him? I needed to find out.

The family had dinner together, my dad telling the family about his day at work. I half listened, hoping that night would come and I'd be able to sneak away again.

After dinner, everything was uneventful as well. I didn't want to seem like I was planning something, so I kept quiet, just watching as Jerad and Kendra battled each other on Guitar Hero, mom read her book, and dad read the newspaper. Time seemed to move so slowly, when finally, my mom set her book down and got up, looking toward my brother, sister, and me.

"Off to bed with you three. Don't forget tomorrow's test day," she said, herding us up the stairs.

We obeyed, and I was secretly excited. I knew that by the time we were in bed, my parents would come upstairs, get ready for bed, stay up for about another thirty minutes, then be out for the night. That gave me at least an hour to plan my leave and venture though the forest back to where I'd met him last night. I was determined to find out who he was and what he was doing.

I got ready faster than Kendra or Jerad, and jumped into my bed, maybe a little too eager. Jerad walked by my room just then, and eyed me suspiciously. He knew something was up.

"You're planning something," he said quietly, so Kendra, who was also in the room, couldn't hear. "I don't know what, and I really don't care, but I know that look. Just don't do anything stupid," he said.

"Do I ever do anything stupid?" I asked him, a small smile on my lips.

He rolled his eyes at me before turning and walking to his bedroom. After he left, I looked over at Kendra, already in her bed. Her eyes were fighting to stay open, and I knew that at that point she'd be asleep within the next five minutes. That just left my parents. Soon enough, they turned their light off, indicating that they were going to sleep. I decided to wait another half an hour just to be safe.

As the time approached, I got out of my bed quietly and put on the jeans and sweatshirt that I had worn the night before, putting on my shoes afterward. I made my way into the hallway and down the stairs, quietly and quickly, heading for the back door. Taking the same care as last night, I opened the door and headed out to the darkness, shutting it quickly behind me. I took a deep breath before heading into the forest for the second time in two days.

I made my way faster through the forest this time than I did last night, hoping the boy was there. About forty five minutes later, I reached the cliff, and immediately made my way over to 

the area where I first found him the night before. Moving the cover of the forest away carefully, I looked, but didn't see anything. I sighed, somewhat disappointed. He wasn't there.

I turned around to go back, but froze in my spot when I was facing the way I came. Right in front of me was the boy, still as gorgeous as ever, with a somewhat dangerous look in his eyes. My heart seemed to stop and I couldn't move. I couldn't even breathe.

"Looking for me?" he growled.

My mouth hung open, looking at him, but no sound came out. My throat was too dry. I took a deep breath, trying to gain some courage. My knees were shaking, but I didn't care.

"Y-yes," I said, "I am. I just wanted to tell you about the bear around here. You said it wasn't safe for me, but it's not safe for you either."

His mouth formed a crooked smile, and if my knees weren't shaking before, they would have been now. I almost melted; the smile was the prettiest smile I have ever seen.

"Not safe for me," he said to himself, so quietly I could hardly hear it. He spoke louder. "Of course it's safe for me. There is no bear."

"What?" I asked. I didn't understand.

"There is no bear," he repeated. "Or mountain lion. No…animal…caused those elk to die." He chose his words carefully.

"Then what did?" I was still confused.

He smiled again, this time showing off his teeth, which glowed brighter than his skin in the dark. Again, he looked beautiful, almost like a god.

"I did."

A/N: OOOOhhhh. Well, there you go. Chapter one. Hope you liked it. I plan to continue, but that depends on review. They would make me feel less stressed and persuade me to continue. So, I'm sure some of you are going to ask if I'm going to have Bella in the story, and at the moment, I'm not sure. I mean, I like her, but since this story is roughly based off of me, I don't know if I want her. We'll see. Thanks again for reading. Whoever made it this far is the greatest and I love you bunches!


End file.
